


bingpot!

by carpesoo



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: (kinda), Alternate Universe - Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV) Fusion, Comedy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-17 19:08:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29355483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carpesoo/pseuds/carpesoo
Summary: doh kyungsoo is undoubtedly the ultimate human / genius in the ninety-ninth precinct. the only problem is, kyungsoo is having trouble convincing detective byun baekhyun of this fact.(alternatively titled: how many brooklyn nine nine references can be included in this fic?)
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Do Kyungsoo | D.O
Comments: 8
Kudos: 31
Collections: The Little Prince Fest_Round Three





	bingpot!

**Author's Note:**

> i've always wanted to write a b99!au so when i was checking out the prompt archive, i couldnt wait to sign up!admittedly, i did deviate from the original prompt somewhat, but i still hope this is as much fun to read as it was to write! a big thanks in advance to all the readers~

“so, do you recognise any of these men?” kyungsoo asks. as the lead detective in the current homicide case, it’s up to him to find the perpetrator and put him behind bars. the only witness to the gruseome murder could really make or break the case. if only she were able to identify the assailant out of the lineup.

“i was hiding in the bathroom stall so i didn’t see his face but i heard him. he was singing along to the music that was playing in the bar,” she tells kyungsoo.

“do you remember what he was singing?” kyungsoo asks her.

“i think it was that song, _for life_.”

“exo—i’m familiar. okay, number one? can you please sing the opening to _for life_?” kyungsoo instructs the first man in the lineup.

“really? …okay. _this life has twists and turns, but it’s the sweetest mystery when you’re with me,_ ” number one starts to sing.

“number two? keep it going.”

“ _we say a thousand words, but no one else is listening. i will be_ ,” number two sings.

it’s a little pitchy but kyungsoo can still work with it. “number three?”

“ _every night and every day, no matter what may come our way. we’re in this thing together._ ”

now that’s what kyungsoo is talking about. number three has a beautiful voice—kyungsoo can really see this coming together. it’s shaping up to be a beautiful performance. “number four!”

“ _the dark turns to light. we both come alive, tonight. i’m talking ‘bout forever_ ,” number four sings.

“ _never gonna let you go, giving you my heart and soul_ ,” kyungsoo decides to join the performance.

“ _i’ll be right here with you for life, oh, baby, all i want to do,_ ” the entire lineup continues singing the song in perfect harmony.

“... _is spend my every second with you_ ~” kyungsoo leads, “now number five.”

“ _so look in my eyes, i’ll be by your side_ ,” number five sings.

“ _the storms may come and winds my blow. i’ll be your shelter for live. this love_ ,” all five men sing together.

“ _this love_ ,” kyungsoo joins in just before the climax of the song.

“ _i mean it till the i diiiiiiiiiie_!” the entire lineup (and kyungsoo) nail the high note.

“oh, chills. literal chills,” kyungsoo says, moved by their impromptu performance.

“it was number five. number five killed my brother,” the victim informs kyungsoo.

“oh, my god.” kyungsoo quickly remembers the reason why they’re all here. “i forgot about that part.”

~ ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬ ~

**99th precinct  
before the morning briefing**   
**8:45am  
  
**

kyungsoo picks up the go-to coffee cup from his table and takes a sip, only to find it empty. where did he leave the one he bought earlier this morning? he checks the rest of his desk, which proves to quite the challenge considering all the loose sheets of paper and the mountain of old empty coffee cups strewn across the surface.

he lifts an old file—or is it the case he’s currently working on? kyungsoo’s not too sure—and finds an old croissant. kyungsoo had opted to skip breakfast this morning, lest he arrived late to work and is forced to endure another boring lecture from the captain. the discovery of the pastry means he gets to have breakfast _and_ doesn’t have to listen to the captain describe the difference between a merlot and a shiraz. as if kyungsoo ever chooses his booze based on anything other than the price. fun fact: kyungsoo has never spent more than eight bucks on a bottle of wine.

“kyungsoo, have you seen the case file: _12exo-92ks04bbh-93do_?” minseok asks.

as the nine nine’s sergeant turned lieutenant, kyungsoo has nothing but the utmost respect for minseok. it most definitely doesn’t have anything to do with minseok’s ability to lift kyungsoo up from off the floor as if he weighed absolutely nothing.

“is case: _12exo-92ks04bbh-93do_ the one we worked on together when i was still a rookie?” kyungsoo responds. “the unsolvable one?”

kyungsoo remembers all the overtime he and minseok had put into the case. after a particular slow day with little progress, minseok had badgered kyungsoo to check out one of his favourite book series: _skyfire cycle_. minseok had explained how he wouldn’t be where he is today without the author’s advice that had been given to him when he was an overweight teenager.

with nothing to lose, kyungsoo had promised to check out the first book. upon reading the first installment, kyungsoo was unable to put it down. over the course of working together, they’d spent many nights bonding over the series. so much so, kyungsoo had felt confident to crown himself as the godfather of minseok’s cat.

(*minseok has yet to confirm kyungsoo’s declaration.)

“yes, that’s the one. minseok has a good feeling he’s going to be able to solve it this time.”

kyungsoo recalls minseok had said the exact same thing the last time but doesn’t bring it up. minseok had the tendency of getting inside his own head and doubting himself whenever his confidence is even a little bit shaken. minseok is undeniably his own worst enemy.

“i think i have it around here somewhere,” kyungsoo says. he opens his top drawer to look for the file.

“you should really clean up your desk, kyungsoo,” minseok says.

if it isn’t minseok telling him this, it’s their captain. kyungsoo has learned how to tune it out and pay it no attention. besides, he has his own organisation system going on. it’s not like he ever loses anything.

“don’t get your suspenders in a twist,” kyungsoo replies. he opens the next drawer and is surprised to find a cup of coffee sitting on a pile of… what captain junmyeon would describe as garbage. whereas kyungsoo prefers to refer to it as food he hasn’t quite finished with just yet. he picks up the now lukewarm coffee and takes a sip. “oh, yeah. that’s the stuff.”

“morning, kyungsoo.”

kyungsoo looks up to find his best friend smiling at him. kim jongin. he’s a grinder. not the most brilliant detective, but he works harder than anyone else. he’s not physically… gifted.

_“oh, man! my muffin.” jongin bends down to pick up the muffin he’s just dropped to the floor and hits his head on the counter in the process. “ahh! oh, my head! my muffin, my head! and i stepped on the—on my muffin! and my head and my muffin!”_

“what’s with that look on your face, jongin?” kyungsoo asks. it’s a little unsettling but it wouldn’t be the jongin kyungsoo knows and loves (platonically) if he isn’t feeling at least a little bit uncomfortable. he spots something in jongin’s hand. it’s wrapped in pink and red foiled heart wrapping paper. no, jongin couldn’t possibly—

“happy valentine’s day!” jongin exclaims with a little too much enthusiasm.

yup. kyungsoo’s worst fears have come to life.

“no, we said no gifts this year, jongin,” kyungsoo tells his best friend. he’s still not over the trauma from jongin’s ‘gift’ last year. let’s just say kyungsoo would’ve been just fine having not seen the image of jongin in a candy g-string. unfortunately, kyungsoo has been unable to rid himself of the horrific memory of the polaroid.

“but i couldn’t resist!” jongin hands kyungsoo the present and waits eagerly for kyungsoo to open it.

how could kyungsoo possibly decline jongin’s puppy dog eyes? that and kyungsoo knows better to have a showdown with jongin. his best friend would, no doubt, stand by his desk the entire shift and not give him a break unless kyungsoo were to cave to his demands.

“it’s a… calculator,” kyungsoo says after unwrapping the perfectly wrapped gift. he doesn’t understand why jongin is giving him this, though. he doesn’t recall ever expressing a desire to own one. “uh… thanks, jongin.”

jongin gives him _the_ look. the one which sends shivers down kyungsoo’s spine each and every time. there’s more to the present but kyungsoo is too scared to enquire about it. the less he knows, the better, as far as kyungsoo is concerned.

jongin leans in and whispers into kyungsoo’s ear, “turn it over.”

jongin’s warm breath tickles him and kyungsoo flinches. “jongin, what did i tell you about whispering into my ear? it’s completely unnecessary so please stop.”

his best friend doesn’t say anything but instead responds with three pumps of the eyebrows.

kyungsoo sighs and turns over the calculator and reads the note attached to it out loud, “now you can always count on me.”

“you know, because you can count numbers on a calculator—”

“yes, i get it, jongin. thank you.” kyungsoo cuts jongin’s explanation short. although he’s unsure as to how much use he’ll get from the calculator—he’s become accustomed to using the app on his phone—kyungsoo is more than grateful that jongin hadn’t attached a polaroid of himself again. he’ll even let the bad pun usage slide.

“so what have you got there, kyungsoo?” a new voice appears. it’s chanyeol—one of the… senior detectives.

“yeah, any chocolate?” it’s jongdae turn to ask.

chanyeol and jongdae are pretty much worthless as detectives, but they make good coffee.

they both slide over to kyungsoo’s desk, butts still firmly attached to their swivel chairs. it’s only a matter of time before the pair make their presence known whenever food is involved. it’s quite impressive, really. that, and their ability to never get up from their chairs. not even to use the bathroom.

“sorry, there’s no chocolate,” kyungsoo breaks the bad news to them.

“so you just got our hopes up over nothing?”

“yeah, screw you, kyungsoo!”

they shuffle over back to their desks and kyungsoo breathes a sigh of relief. a hungry chanyeol and jongdae could have escalated into a seriously ugly scenario—chanyeol is known to be a biter.

after kyungsoo checks the remaining drawers, he locates the case file minseok had requested earlier. it had only taken him half an hour—a new record. it’s like kyungsoo always says—nothing is ever _lost_. he just needs a little time to sift through his very functional and efficient system.

it’s been a very slow morning for kyungsoo and the rest of the detectives at the nine nine. after their briefing, kyungsoo has just been waiting for the captain to hand them new assignments but junmyeon has yet to leave his office.

“so, does anyone has any open cases they’re currently working on?” yixing asks.

zhang yixing. tough, smart, hard to read, and really scary.

_“tell me who has me for secret santa,” yixing asks chanyeol._

_“no! that takes all the fun out of it.”_

_yixing stares at him._

_“it’s jongdae,” chanyeol answers. “he got you a scarf. i’ll make him return it.”_

_“yes, you will.”_

kyungsoo never, in a million years, thinks he would ever see the day that he would be bored at work. “where are all the criminals?” he asks—the question not directed to anyone in particular.

“they’re probably all cooped up inside,” jongin replies.

kyungsoo waits for jongin to continue. there’s no way his best friend is going to leave it at that.

“getting nasty.”

kyungsoo groans in disgust. “there you go again, jongin. why does everything have to be so sexual with you?”

jongin giggles and kyungsoo doesn’t give him the satisfaction by reacting.

“i’m pretty sure the reason why the crime rates in brooklyn are due to me single-handedly solving all the cases.” kyungsoo crumbles up a piece of paper into a ball and tosses it into the trashcan across the room.

he misses.

“you’d better pick that up,” baekhyun says as soon as he enters the bullpen.

byun baekhyun. he’s got an older brother, so he’s always trying to prove he’s tough.

_“careful. that stuff’s pretty hot,” jongdae warns him._

_“oh, is it? hmm?” baekhyun opens the bottle of hot sauce again and proceeds to drown his sub with the flaming red condiment. he takes a bite and immediately splutters at the intense burning fire wreaking havoc in his mouth._

he and kyungsoo are constantly making wagers. like that one time they had a big bet on who could get the most arrests in a year. during the course of the bet, their numbers had gone way up. kyungsoo emerged as the winner, of course. no surprise there but baekhyun did put up quite a fight.

there really isn’t a doubt that doh kyungsoo is the precinct’s best detective. he likes putting away bad guys and he loves solving puzzles. the only puzzle he hasn’t solved… is how to grow up.

“you heard him, jongin,” kyungsoo says. he makes another shot. this time it sinks directly into the trashcan. “nothing but net!”

“on it, kyungsoo.” jongin rushes to properly dispose of the paper balls littered around the bin.

baekhyun removes his jacket and takes a seat at his desk. “is kyungsoo trying to take credit for the low crime rate in brooklyn again?”

“yes,” yixing and minseok reply in unison.

baekhyun rolls his eyes. “whatever, kyungsoo. if you really want to look at the number of arrests, i think you’ll find that _i’m_ the one with the highest figures.”

“title of your sex tape!” jongin adds without being promoted.

“what? gross, jongin!” baekhyun replies, clearly repulsed by jongin’s comment.

“oh, please. you wish you could get some of this,” kyungsoo tells him.

there’s been a little sexual tension between the two detectives over the years but nothing major to report. after a failed relationship with who baekhyun describes as the most boring man on the planet, baekhyun had sworn off dating any more police officers.

“you mean like the date we went on after i lost that bet? you were too cheap to take me out to an actual restaurant so we ended up getting snacks at the vending machine by the breakroom?” baekhyun scoffs. “which i paid for, by the way.”

“could you repeat that?” kyungsoo asks.

“that you’re cheap?”

“no, the first part,” kyungsoo says.

“the date we went on after i lost the bet?”

“that’s right, you lost the bet.”

kyungsoo actually regards his pseudo date with fond memories. baekhyun is one of the few people in the precinct who can make him genuinely laugh. sure, there’s never a dull second with chanyeol and jongdae around but kyungsoo usually laughs _at_ them. not _with_ them.

baekhyun is easily the cutest guy in the precinct, too. especially when he smiles—like when he’s laminating pages out of the precinct’s handbook and filing them into a big fat binder with cascading tabs. there’s also that one time they had to pull an overnighter and baekhyun had forgotten his contact lens case and had been forced to wear his glasses. despite kyungsoo roasting him about it, he’d actually really dug the spectacled look on baekhyun. not that kyungsoo would have ever admit to it.

“remind me again, baekhyun, do you _like_ to lose?” he laughs out loud and high fives jongin.

“ancient history, kyungsoo. i’m sure if we were to make another wager—i’d win it this time.”

“why don’t you bet on who is more badass? we can have a vote—i vote for kyungsoo!” jongin says.

“neither of them would win,” yixing points out. “ _neither_ of them are badass.”

kyungsoo is offended. he would happily admit that he isn’t quite as badass as yixing is, what with his cool leather jacket and motorcycle, but he’s sure as hell more badass than _baekhyun_. the guy who thinks it’s cool to attend mathematics conventions and power pose workshops.

“you know what’s badass?” jongin asks. “unleashing the… kyungsoo—say it with me—bullet tornado!”

“man sprinkler!” kyungsoo calls out. it’s always been his dream to stand back to back with his partner whilst surrounded by a gang of criminals—shooting a hail of bullets to escape.

“wait, what did you call it?” jongin asks.

kyungsoo clears his throat. “the same as you… remind baekhyun what it was again.”

“a… bullet tornado,” jongin repeats.

kyungsoo nods. “yup, bullet tornado. that’s what i said.”

“so, what else can we bet on?” baekhyun asks.

“how about we just try to solve one of our old cases. you know, do our _actual_ jobs?” minseok suggests.

“lame,” kyungsoo and baekhyun say in sync with one another.

“noice,” kyungsoo says, shooting a smile at baekhyun. “by the way, where’s sehun? i’m sure he’d have some crazy idea as to what we can bet on.”

sehun is the civilian administrator who sometimes thinks he’s an actual cop. kyungsoo and sehun go way back—it had actually been on kyungsoo’s recommendation that sehun got the job at the precinct. sehun spends more time on his phone than actual work. he still thinks his job is quote, unquote, _optional_.

“he’s in the break room, engaging in a twitter war with one of the members of that boy group, _exo_ ,” jongin tells them.

“i’m going to go get him,” minseok says, “minseok will be right back.”

it’s not long after minseok returns with sehun in tow that junmyeon finally emerges from his office. “did i hear someone mention a bet?” he asks.

junmyeon is the captain of the ninety ninth precinct. he commands the respect from everyone around him with his gravitas. on his first day at the precinct, he and kyungsoo had butted heads over the latter’s refusal to wear a tie. in kyungsoo’s defence, he hadn’t been required to under the previous commanding officer.

they hadn’t gotten off on the right foot, either. not with kyungsoo’s assumption that junmyeon was just another washed up pencil pusher who’s only concerned with following every rule in the patrol guide. kyungsoo’s use of a robot voice in his imitation certainly didn’t help his case.

since then, however, kyungsoo has come to look up to his captain—regarding him as the father figure missing from his life. there might have been a few occasions when kyungsoo has accidentally referred to him as “dad” much to the enjoyment of the rest of the team.

“yes, captain junmyeon. kyungsoo and i were discussing who is the better detective,” baekhyun reports.

“kyungsoo and _me_ ,” kyungsoo corrects. he knows how much the captain appreciates correct grammar.

both junmyeon and baekhyun look at him in utter dismay.

“i know how we can settle the score. once and for all,” junmyeon continues. “i hope the rest of you can offer your support.”

“what’s in it for us?” sehun asks, eyes still affixed to his phone. you gotta give it to him, the man knows how to multitask.

“you will listen to me for i am your captain.”

“oh, damn. power move. alright, captain.”

“i shall go over the rules in a meeting,” junmyeon says as he addresses the room. “except chanyeol and jongdae. their arrest records are an astonishing twelve cases this year. they’ve done more than enough work.”

“and you’re welcome,” chanyeol says.

“that’s not a good thing,” minseok points out.

“yeah? well no one asked you, sergeant.”

“i’m actually a lieutenant now.”

“when did that happen?” jongdae asks.

“it’s been over two years now, get with the programme.”

“as for kyungsoo and baekhyun.” junmyeon disappears back into his office briefly before returning with The Championship Belt in his hand. “recognise this?”

“it’s The Championship Belt!” kyungsoo mutters under his breath.

it had first made its appearance in the fifth annual halloween heist, a contest to see who could best whom in a battle of the wits. it had usually involved stealing a designated item and whoever was in possession of said item at the end of the night would be declared the winner.

the victor would earn themselves the right to be named ‘ _the ultimate human/genius_.’ over the years, the rest of the team had tried their hand at being crowned the winner—kyungsoo had claimed two victories*; junmyeon, baekhyun, sehun, minseok, and yixing winning one round each.

(*both captain junmyeon and baekhyun still contest kyungsoo’s second victory during the fifth annual heist.)

“that’s right. it’s the championship cummerbund. whoever manages to steal this cummerband will be hailed as the grand victor and the ultimate ultimate human slash genius.”

“i’m the true owner of that belt,” kyungsoo says. “i won that last round, it belongs to me.”

“oh, please. spare me that drivel,” junmyeon replies. “i will see you all in the meeting room at twelve, noon. sharp.”

**meeting room  
heist briefing  
12:00pm  
  
**

“is everybody here?” junmyeon asks.

they’ve gathered in the meeting room as per the captain’s earlier instructions. kyungsoo had watched with growing excitement as his friends entered the captain’s office, one by one, before exiting with a folder in their hand. jongin buckled after kyungsoo had asked him to spill, revealing that junmyeon had planned a scavenger hunt.

“i’ve consulted with sehun, yixing, jongin, and minseok who have all agreed to cooperate with this year’s heist,” junmyeon addresses the group.

“what about us, captain?” chanyeol asks.

“you two can have lunch at _wing sluts_ —we’ll meet you there?” minseok tells them.

“you don’t have to tell us twice. see ya!” jongdae says.

kyungsoo has never seen the pair hustle so fast in his life. they’re moving with such… purpose.

“in two hours, sehun will give you the first clue. you two have until midnight tonight to discover the final location of the cummerbund—good luck to the both of you.”

“i don’t need luck, i got my brains,” kyungsoo says. “baekhyun will need all the luck he can get.”

“as if!” baekhyun retorts. “i hope you don’t cry tears of blood, writhing in agony, when you see me wearing the belt!”

kyungsoo had almost forgotten about baekhyun’s insane competitive streak. baekhyun is the kind of guy who would shoot his own team during a paintball session, just to be the last man standing.

“damn, baekhyun! chill!” minseok tells him.

yixing laughs. “i’d actually like to see that. kyungsoo drowning in a pool of his own blood.”

“you’re both as messed up as each other,” minseok replies with a shake of his head.

“oh, and before i forget,” junmyeon says. “i am aware that on valentine’s day, it is customary to bestow upon others, a box of chocolate or other confectionery items. however, as i mention every year, i will not be accepting gifts of any nature. meeting adjourned.”

“oh, damn,” kyungsoo overhears baekhyun mumble quietly under his breath.

typical baekhyun. he’s always trying to find loopholes in junmyeon’s principle against receiving gifts from his subordinates. there’s nothing the captain dislikes more than the act of brown nosing.

kyungsoo knows that baekhyun isn’t trying to curry favour through gift giving. he just likes to please others and wants nothing more than for junmyeon to like him. baekhyun is hardly discreet in his desire for the captain to take him under his wing. he’s always expressing how he would love to have a mentor-mentee relationship with junmyeon.

**99th precinct  
sehun’s desk  
2:46pm  
  
**

kyungsoo and baekhyun have been trying to gain sehun’s attention for the last half hour but their attempts have been in vain. sehun has refused to look up from his phone or provide them with the first hint.

“sehun, would you please tell us the clue to the next location?” kyungsoo asks.

“not gonna happen,” he replies.

it’s baekhyun’s turn to try to break sehun. “hey, look, sehun! kylie jenner just retweeted me on instagram.”

sehun doesn’t bother with a response.

“i’ve got spare tickets to this year’s coachella, do you want to come with me?”

“nice try, kyungsoo, but coachella’s been cancelled.”

kyungsoo returns to his desk. there’s gotta be a way to get sehun to reveal the clue. if only sehun would stop being so distracted… that’s it! kyungsoo’s figured out how he’s going to capture sehun’s attention.

first, he needs to hack into minseok’s facebook account. it shouldn’t take too long, kyungsoo just needs to call one of his hacker buddies to help him out. or maybe… no, minseok couldn’t possibly have set his password to something so predictable.

kyungsoo types in ‘ _yoghurt_ ’ and hey, presto! he’s successfully logged in.

minseok really is a very simple man with an unrivalled love for yoghurt (and suspenders.)

“oh, my god. did minseok just adopt a new pet dog?” sehun asks, finally looking up from his phone.

kyungsoo seizes the opportunity and snatches the phone from his friend’s hand. “you’ll get this back when you tell me where the next clue is.”

with no other option, sehun concedes defeat. “fine, i’ll tell you.” he loads a youtube video and hits play.

kyungsoo recognises the song immediately—its ‘ _ice ice baby_ ’ by vanilla ice. it could only mean one thing: minseok is the keeper of the next clue and kyungsoo knows exactly where to find him. kyungsoo grabs his jacket and heads for the elevator only for baekhyun to zoom past him.

“eat my dust!” baekhyun taunts. he must have been secretly lurking while sehun was showing kyungsoo the clue to the next location.

unfortunately for baekhyun, the elevator doors doesn’t open right away, giving kyungsoo plenty of time to reach before it arrives. they both head inside, only for baekhyun to push all the buttons and hopping out just before the doors close.

“so long, sucker!” kyungsoo hears baekhyun calling out from behind the doors.

**99th precinct  
minseok’s favourite frozen yoghurt spot  
6:19pm  
  
**

kyungsoo finally arrives at the next location. he would’ve made it there earlier had it not been for chanyeol and jongdae’s emergency call to bail them out of the situation they’d found themselves in.

much to kyungsoo’s surprise, baekhyun had graciously offered to join him on the trip to _wing sluts_. even if he did say it was just so kyungsoo wouldn’t accuse him of cheating. baekhyun knows kyungsoo all too well. it sounds like something kyungsoo would use an excuse for his loss.

and to no one’s surprise, chanyeol and jongdae had found themselves in a showdown with the restaurant owner. apparently they’d been warned on several occasions that they would be permanently banned if they didn’t stop using so much sauce on their chicken wings. the pair of detectives did not heed the owner’s warnings and a ruckus between them occurred.

kyungsoo, with the help of baekhyun, managed to pacify the situation—negotiating that chanyeol and jongdae pay a surcharge proportionate to how much they extra sauce consume. the two were more than happy to accept if it meant they could continue dining at their favourite establishment.

after leaving the restaurant, kyungsoo races against baekhyun across the city. he doesn’t know who’s gotten there first but he’s not going to wait around to find out. kyungsoo enters the store with his usual gusto and flashes his badge at the staff. “i’m detective doh kyungsoo. i need to take a look in the back.”

“lieutenant minseok—where are you?” he calls out. “you can come out and give me the next location now.” kyungsoo scans the room but is unable to locate the man. he spots a door towards the back of the room that leads to the refrigerated department.

“minseok?” he calls out for the lieutenant again. he opens one of the walk in freezers and shines a flashlight into the unlit ice cavern. “lieutenant?”

kyungsoo observes a shadow in the corner of the room and closes in to inspect it. “is that you, lieutenant minseok?”

“don’t let the door close behind you!” kyungsoo hears a voice calling out to him.

before kyungsoo has the chance to react, the door shuts behind them. kyungsoo reaches for the handle and pushes it to open the door. except nothing happens. he uses more force this time, but the result stays the same. he’s locked inside the freezer.

“yeah, the door’s jammed tight,” a quiet voice says.

this can’t really be happening. what is this—some kind of fanfic? kyungsoo holds out his torch. the faint ray of light illuminates a familiar face. “baekhyun—is that you? are you okay?” he rushes towards the other detective to check up on him.

“i’m all right but it is a little bit nippy in here,” baekhyun replies with a wry smile.

“you’re shivering,” kyungsoo points out. he pulls baekhyun in close to share his body heat. he pulls out his phone to give the lieutenant a call to let him know where they are so they can be rescued.

“minseok is already on his way,” baekhyun informs him as if he can read kyungsoo’s mind. “we’re at the wrong branch.”

“i expected more from you, detective byun,” kyungsoo jokes to lighten the mood.

baekhyun punches him in the shoulder. the lack of strength behind the strike is a little concerning to kyungsoo. he wraps his arms around baekhyun a little tighter and studies baekhyun’s face in the dim lighting. kyungsoo’s eyes are drawn to the beauty spots on his face. there’s one on his temple, his cheek, and just above his upper lip.

“you smell nice,” kyungsoo hears baekhyun whisper into his ear.

kyungsoo is pretty sure the sweet scent he smells is coming from the frozen fruit that surrounds them but that doesn’t stop him from replying, “t-thanks, so do you.”

baekhyun’s lips form a small smile and kyungsoo’s heart skips a beat. kyungsoo has never realised it before but he’s pretty sure of it now—he has feelings… _romantic_ feelings for baekhyun.

they fall into silence in an effort to conserve energy.

“hey, baekhyun…” kyungsoo is the first to speak. after confirming his feelings for the other, he wishes to act on it before anything can get in their way. their lives are far too unpredictable—there’s no knowing what might be in store for them tomorrow.

“hmm?” baekhyun looks up at him with half open eyes.

kyungsoo reaches out and cups baekhyun’s face. his thumb touches the beauty mark above baekhyun’s upper lip. baekhyun closes his eyes and kyungsoo mirrors the action. he can feel his heart pounding faster as their faces draw closer. baekhyun’s breath feels warm against his skin and their lips brush ever so gently against each other. just as he’s about to press their lips together, kyungsoo hears the sound of the door opening and a voice yelling out to them.

“kyungsoo! baekhyun! are you okay?”

it’s minseok. he’s come to rescue them.

“help baekhyun first, he’s been in here longer than me,” kyungsoo instructs the members of staff. he slowly rises to his feet and drags his shivering body out of the freezer and into the warm arms of minseok. “you’re nice and warm, lieutenant.”

“you two are supposed to be my best detectives. why on earth would you think i’d be hiding in a damn freezer?” minseok asks them.

baekhyun laughs but he still sounds pretty weak. “i don’t know, lieutenant. you’re full of surprises. don’t think we’ve forgotten about what happened on cinco de mayo.”

two years ago, the team had suggested engaging in another game of The Heist in an effort to distract minseok (who was still a sergeant at the time) from his lieutenant’s exam. the usual trickery, thievery, and deception ensued, only to discover minseok had been the one to engineer a grand master plan. it had involved delaying the heist originally set for halloween and manipulating everyone into falling into his trap. minseok had then revealed that he’d already passed the lieutenant’s exam and crowned himself as king minseok—the sixth heist champion.

“you covered your entire body in gold paint,” kyungsoo adds. feeling his body temperature restored back to normal, kyungsoo turns his attention to the matter at hand. “so, minseok. why don’t you tell me the next clue? i’ll make sure the fridge is stocked with your favourite mango yoghurt for the next month.”

“nice try, but they don’t even make it anymore,” minseok replies. “are you sure you guys don’t want to get checked out at the hospital?”

“there’s no time for that, lieutenant.” kyungsoo’s priority is to become the three time champion. it’s not like spending a small amount of time in freezing arctic cold temperatures is going to inflict much damage to his physical condition. besides, he is a healthy adult man and always ensures to consume his recommended five a day via his daily five cups of orange soda.

“if you don’t give me the next clue, i’ll rip your face off and feed it to your cat!” despite his feeble state, baekhyun’s competitive spirit remains as strong as ever.

“what the hell, baekhyun? you need to calm yourself. you know what? this is dumb. here—just take the clue.” minseok hands both baekhyun and kyungsoo a slip of paper. “i need to get back to my kitty.”

baekhyun cracks a smile. “thank you, lieutenant.”

kyungsoo reads the next clue and quickly deduces that yixing is the next man to hunt down. a fact that terrifies kyungsoo to his core. giving it a little more thought, kyungsoo works out that yixing’s clue will lead him to jongin. and if kyungsoo knows anything about jongin, it’s that he would do anything to remain in kyungsoo’s good graces.

kyungsoo makes eye contact with baekhyun. he wants to discuss their almost-kiss but it’s not exactly the appropriate time, what with minseok sitting in between them. baekhyun is the first to move, peeling himself from minseok’s side. he stands up slowly and heads towards the exit. he’s still a little unsteady on his feet.

“i’m going to help him to his car—will you be okay, kyungsoo?” minseok asks him.

kyungsoo nods. he guesses the conversation with baekhyun about the nature of their relationship can wait. perhaps he’ll send him a text about it tomorrow. or maybe he’ll just wait to see if baekhyun decides to broach the topic himself. kyungsoo isn’t committing to any concrete plans just yet.

when the two are out of sight, kyungsoo retrieves his phone and calls his best buddy. “hey, jongin. tell me where the championship belt is.”

“i doth do protest, kind sir,” jongin replies.

“you know you speak fancy whenever you’re trying to hide something from me so just cough it up already. or else…”

“or else what?”

“or else i’ll invite chanyeol or jongdae over for a movie night. we’ll have some popcorn… maybe even spend the night,” kyungsoo answers.

“a slumber party… without me? but i’m your best friend,” jongin tells him.

“if you were really my best friend, wouldn’t you tell me where junmyeon is hiding the championship belt?” kyungsoo feels a slight twinge of guilt that he’s using jongin to win some ~~dumb~~ championship belt but the feeling is fleeting.

“alright, it’s back the precinct,” jongin reveals.

“of course! it’s typical of junmyeon to have me and baekhyun running around when it’s been right under our noses this entire time. thanks, jongin—you’re the best!”

kyungsoo makes a vow to help jongin become the champion of the heist next year. jongin is the only member of the team who’s yet to win a round*.

(*chanyeol and jongdae are excluded for obvious reasons.)

“can you say it one more time so i can record it and set it as my alarm and ringtone?” jongin asks.

kyungsoo ends the phone call and jumps into his car.

**99th precinct  
junmyeon’s office  
10:23pm  
  
**

junmyeon’s office is locked. it’s not a problem for kyungsoo, however. he has a replica key in his possession for such a purpose. he unlocks the door, making sure not to get caught by anyone working in the night shift—they’re not to be trusted. not to mention, if junmyeon were to find out, kyungsoo would be in serious trouble.

navigating his way through the office in the dark, kyungsoo begins the hunt for the championship belt. after searching through the cabinets for the second time, it dawns on kyungsoo that the captain is always trying to outsmart him. it makes sense for junmyeon to leave the belt in a location kyungsoo would be least likely to explore—his own desk!

kyungsoo’s triumph is so close—he can almost taste it. without a second to waste, he exits the office, only to see baekhyun sitting in kyungsoo’s chair and rifling through his drawers. he dashes towards the other detective but it’s too late. baekhyun is already holding the belt in his hands.

“i did it! i won, i wo-on!” baekhyun exclaims. he raises the belt above his head and breaks into his signature victory dance.

kyungsoo takes a closer look at the inscription on the belt and bursts into a fit of laughter.

“why are you laughing?” baekhyun asks him.

kyungsoo points at the belt in baekhyun’s hands. “you should read what it says.”

“captain junmyeon is the ultimate human slash genius,” baekhyun reads out loud, sounding more and more dejected with each word.

the captain must have switched out the belt with a decoy one—that sly old fox. wait a minute… perhaps he never brought it with him to begin with. junmyeon values it far too much to offer it as a prize. why hadn’t kyungsoo realised it sooner? it must still be in junmyeon’s apartment!

before kyungsoo departs to the captain’s home, he makes a quick stop at baekhyun’s desk.

**junmyeon’s house  
11:30pm  
  
**

kyungsoo holds a finger up to his lips. he slowly raises his head and peeks through the window. the lights are on—but the curtain obscures the room from his vision. he can’t tell if junmyeon is there or not. he points towards the front door and baekhyun nods his head in understanding.

he and baekhyun had agreed to form an alliance for the time being after baekhyun had tailed him to junmyeon’s house without his knowledge. it makes sense—the chances of infiltrating the captain’s home are exponentially higher if they work together as opposed to trying to outdo one another.

kyungsoo silently thanks yixing’s lessons in picking locks as the front door cracks ajar. they sneak into junmyeon’s home without detection and the two head towards the captain’s den. kyungsoo freezes as soon as he sets one foot into the room.

another opponent has appeared. fortunately for the pair, cheddar—the captain’s pet corgi—has yet to notice their intrusion. kyungsoo gestures for baekhyun to back up slowly. this could go one of two ways. either, cheddar will bark at them, alerting junmyeon of their presence; or baekhyun’s allergies to dogs will be aggravated and his sneezing will give them away.

as soon as they’re both safely back out in the hallway, they hear a voice coming from the kitchen. they quickly run up the stairs, balancing stealth with speed. without much thought, kyungsoo grabs hold of baekhyun’s hand and drags him into junmyeon’s bedroom. when they hear a set of footsteps making their way up the stairs, they slip into the ensuite bathroom and jump into the bathtub.

baekhyun draws the shower curtains to conceal their presence. kyungsoo is breathing heavily, as is baekhyun, as they both try to catch their breath. kyungsoo’s heart rate quickens when he realises that they’re still holding hands. when kyungsoo’s eyes adjust to the darkness, his eyes lock onto baekhyun’s.

“should we talk about what happened… you know, back at the frozen yoghurt shop. i mean, that was crazy, right?” baekhyun whispers.

is he really wanting to discuss this now? kyungsoo thinks. they’re literally sitting in the captain’s bathtub. kyungsoo couldn’t think of a less romantic location until the thought of jongdae’s bathroom—or worse, chanyeol’s—flashes into his mind.

“yeah, it was pretty wild,” kyungsoo replies. he guesses it’s now or never. he takes a deep breath in an effort to summon the courage to tell baekhyun how he feels for him.

“i think we just got caught up in the moment,” baekhyun tells him before kyungsoo has the chance to confess.

“right. i think so, too. i’m glad we’re on the same page. cool, cool, cool.” kyungsoo bites down on his bottom lip. he’s glad they’re sitting in the dark. otherwise, baekhyun would be able to see the defeated look on kyungsoo’s face right about now. but hey, kyungsoo should look on the bright side, right? at least he knows now that baekhyun doesn’t return the sentiment before making a fool of himself.

in no mood to continue talking, kyungsoo leans back and closes his eyes. he discreetly opens them every now and then to steal glances at the other. he silently observes baekhyun tucking his hair behind his ears and immediately recalls the time yixing had revealed the meaning behind baekhyun’s double tuck. baekhyun only does it when he’s with someone he really likes. could it be an indication that baekhyun actually likes him, too?

kyungsoo sits back up and makes a decision. “i’m gonna go downstairs and distract junmyeon while you look for the belt,” he tells baekhyun.

“why would you do that?” baekhyun asks. “are you just saying that so i offer to do the same? which you’ll then accept without hesitation.”

“no, i really mean it. i want you to win,” kyungsoo says, looking directly into baekhyun’s eyes.

baekhyun doesn’t break eye contact. “you still haven’t told me why, though.”

kyungsoo dry swallows. this is it. this is the moment he’s going to tell baekhyun exactly how he feels. kyungsoo hopes the sentiment is reciprocated or else he won’t know how he’s going to face him tomorrow at the precinct. “baekhyun, i like—”

the lights suddenly flicker on and the shower curtains are pulled back. the unexpected invasion startle kyungsoo and baekhyun, causing the both of them to scream out loud.

“it’s midnight and victory is mine!” junmyeon announces, belt in hand. “bow down to me, the ultimate ultimate human slash genius!”

**shaw’s bar  
1:00am  
  
**

the team gather around at their usual watering hole for the captain’s victory ceremony. on any other day, kyungsoo would argue that junmyeon had given himself an unfair advantage but he’s willing to let the day’s event slide considering it had been the catalyst for something far more important. it had brought baekhyun and him together. as a couple.

after junmyeon had inadvertently foiled kyungsoo’s plan to confess his feelings for baekhyun in his claim of triumph, and also scaring the living daylights out of them in the process, junmyeon had left the two of them alone in his bathroom. most likely to relay the news to his husband.

kyungsoo had felt too awkward to finish his confession. baekhyun was the one to make the first move and pressed their lips together. “i like you, too,” he’d murmured softly in between kisses.

as junmyeon is making another one of his long-winded speech that kyungsoo only ever half understands, he feels baekhyun slipping his fingers in between his. kyungsoo shoots a smile at his new boyfriend and tightens his grip on baekhyun’s hand.

“kyungsoo and baekhyun are holding hands! is this for real? is my dream finally coming true?” the subtle display of the couple’s affection doesn’t escape jongin’s astute eyes.

“if your dream is that baekhyun and i are dating then yes… your dream has come true,” kyungsoo tells him.

“i knew it would finally happen! i’ve been waiting _years_ for this!”

“calm down, jongin. you’re not a part of this relationship. oh, god. he’s going to be part of the relationship, isn’t he?” baekhyun groans and rests his head on kyungsoo’s shoulder.

“you bet your sweet ass i am. title of _my_ sex tape!” jongin shrieks at the top of his lungs.

“great. just great,” baekhyun says.

kyungsoo can’t help but smile. “in his defence, he has been rooting for us since day one.”

kyungsoo fondly recalls all the times jongin had tried to set them up over the years. he would invite the two of them out before conveniently cancelling last minute, leaving the two of them to hang out alone. of course, at that time, kyungsoo hadn’t realised his true feelings for baekhyun and so nothing ever became of it.

“let’s make a toast to the new couple,” minseok announces and raises a glass into the air. “nine-nine!”

“nine-nine!” the rest of the team choruses.

“come to think of it, where’s bill?” kyungsoo asks. he’s been a little too distracted to notice bill’s absence until now.

bill—jongin’s doppelgänger— has been an integral member of the team since the fourth year of the heist.

“i’ve been here all along, kyungsoo.” bill says, popping out from behind the bar. “who do you think closed the freezer door behind you?” he shoots them a smile a little too creepy for kyungsoo’s liking before disappearing into the night. kyungsoo’s completely certain it’s not the last time they’ll hear from him.

as the crazy night winds down, kyungsoo presents baekhyun with the box of candy he’d swiped from baekhyun’s desk earlier that evening. “for you, my darling valentine.”

“are these the chocolates i was planning to give to captain junmyeon?” baekhyun asks him.

“no,” kyungsoo replies. they both know he’s lying.

baekhyun smiles back at him. unable to take his eyes off of baekhyun’s lips, kyungsoo slowly leans in and draws their faces closer together.

“oh, my god. everyone—kyungsoo and baekhyun are about to have their first kiss.” leave it to jongin to make things awkward.

kyungsoo and baekhyun share a knowing smile before their lips connect.

“happy valentine’s, best detective byun baekhyun.”

“happy valentine’s day, second best detective doh kyungsoo.”


End file.
